Anticipation: what is the most ignored Galapagos species?

July 22

One week before heading to Ecuador, I am filled with sadness at leaving friends and family, fear of Ecuador's corruption and chaos, and eager to live on the islas encantadas, the Enchanted Islands of the Galapagos. 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's Origin of the Species, and the his legacy is threatened. The Darwin Foundation asked a small team of folks to counter this threat and I am a member of this team.

I was a blissful tourist once. When son Marco was 8 (14 years ago), we visited the Galapagos. He frolicked with sea lions, seals and boobies. We were astonished by the sea iguanas, tame albatrosses and turbulent Humboldt Current. Our home was shiny cruise boat, outfitted with luxurious conveniences and staffed by knowledgeable guides.

Starting in August, as a volunteer at the Charles Darwin Foundation, I will have a role that is quite different from being a camera-toting tourist. I will not be on a boat and there will be no chance to eat Alaskan crab legs at a captain's table. Instead, I will report to an office and figure out a curriculum for the children of the Galapagos. Our focus will not be on Darwin's finches but on the human beings who lack schooling and even a rudimentary awareness of the world they inhabit. Not surprisingly, many of the immigrants' teenagers have problems, from unanticipated pregnancies to STDs to being HIV+. The adults, who hail from every province except the Galapagos, are rootless and many are scared that, 600 miles from the mainland, they could be stranded if they have no work. They gave up a home, often in a village and always close to extended family members. They arrived in this desert-like world without a safety net, dependent on charm, wit and luck. No wonder they exploit every chance they get to earn an income, even if it might threaten a bit of the world-famous environment. Darwin worried about this fragile world and his words are prophetic.

The Charles Darwin Foundation, in its 50th anniversary year, has been hugely successful in documenting the environment of the islands and in assisting the development of a tourism industry. In 1959, when both the CDF and the Galapagos National Park were founded, there were few tourists and few residents. Today, almost 150,000 tourists arrive each year. Approximately 30,000 immigrants live in the three principal villages, Puerto Ayora, Puerto Baquerizo and Villamil. Although 97% of the islands' surfaces are park land and cannot be developed, the 3% left over is heavily affected by humans.

In recent years, the CDF reviewed its historic role, and it is making some major changes. While it is proud of its work with flora and fauna, the staff realized that one kind of animal was left out of most investigations: the homo sapiens. This species is now threatening to undo the conservationists' careful work to preserve native plants and animals.

Much of the CDF's money and staff focused on the ecology of the islands and how to keep feral/non-native species at bay. Of the many threats to flora and fauna, the worst ones originate in the clothing and belongings of immigrants and tourists. Newcomers bring seeds and animals to the islands, which, in turn, take over native plant habitats and destroy the food source for native animals. Most destructive are the goats, pigs, rats, cats and dogs, but fire ants and bees have a huge impact, as well. Of course, the real cause of the environmental degradation is the human species who bring non-native species on to the islands. Darwin might have been amused to see the rapid evolution of life on the Galapagos and the inability of native species to adapt. More like, though, he would be appalled to witness the ruin facing his finches.

But the humans rarely see the environmental questions as their concern. For the residents, getting the means to survive is a more important focus. To them, the islands provide a way to put food on the table, send junior to school, and get a ticket to the mainland from time to time. The immigrants are fishermen, ship maintenance people and those who run the businesses serving tourism and shipping. These residents vote elect their mayors plus a governor. They cast their votes for whomever will help them make a living. Needless to say, preserving the Galapagos has little to do with their income.